Obviously most of the shows are at private corporate functions, colleges
and schools, but
here's where you can find out what public performances and TV
appearances are coming up, along with information about what I'm up to
at the moment.
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Photo by James Cumpsty
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CROWBOROUGH DRUM CLUB
- Wednesday 14th May 2008 4pm - 5.30 pm
Crowborough Drum Club meets once a month at Grove Park School, Crowborough. It is a free community drum circle with drums provided, open to all ages and abilities, and people are free to come and go during the session, so if you can only make it for the last half hour, or an hour in the middle, or indeed any other permutation, feel free to come. For directions and more information please email Mark at mark@mark-walker.co.uk
ROLF HARRIS
6th June 2008. Bath Race Course
Current Activities
Rolf Harris
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I've been playing percussion for Rolf since 1997, at live shows in the UK, for his musical TV appearances, (including Blue Peter, the National Lottery, and Children in Need), and on Rolf's last three albums, Bootleg 1, Now and Then, and 70/30. The year 2000 was Rolf's 70th Birthday, and what a year it was - the special birthday meant that not only did I get a book published and on the shelves in W.H.Smiths ('The Court of King Rolf, a tribute to Rolf Harris'), but we did some amazing gigs. We started the year going out to Cape town, South Africa, for two shows at the Spiers Festival, an open air amphitheatre with plains and mountains making an incredible backdrop to the stage, and with three days 'off' after the shows we were able to take in many of the sites, including a wonderful trip up Table Top Mountain. Around the time of Rolf's birthday we did various TV's and on his actual birthday we played a mad gig at the Walkabout, Shepherd's Bush - the venue was absolutely rammed and the usual Rolf mania - screaming, shouting, pogoing etc. seemed to reach new heights. In the summer came some fantastic Festivals, including Glastonbury again, and our first performance at Womad, where the personal highlight after a toptastic and again rammed gig was meeting Peter Gabriel. In August we did the Sidmouth Festival, and as Mick was away on his hols I had to play kit, which was a little scary, but I got away with it... We finished the year with Jools Holland in Belfast on New Year's Eve, where the weather was absolutely appalling, but the crowd were absolutely terrific...
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The view from the stage at Glastonbury 2002 by Zoe Jelley
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Highlights since have included Glastonbury 2002 where back on the main stage Rolf kicked off the Sunday to an ecstatic crowd of 80,000, tours of Ireland and the Channel Isles, and many gigs in fabulous venues around the UK including Chichester Cathedral, Battle Abbey and at the Edinburgh Festival . . .
To read the tour diary of the first year with Rolf, click here).
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Lion King
One of my favourite jobs has been working as a dep for Disney's West End Production of the Lion King, covering for percussionist Mike Hamnett on some of the shows he can't make. As the kit drummer for the show is the legendary Andy Newmark, and the amazing Thomas Dyani is playing in the box opposite, it is always a real musical delight to perform with some absolutely fantastic musicians. The show itself really is incredible, and one of the best things about performing in the box at the side of the stage is that I can see both the show and the audience throughout the performance, as well as have the opportunity to play some beautiful music on some amazing instruments.
Services available...
Drum Shows
In recent years performing energisers at conferences and corporate events has been my prime solo activity, although I still perform the Have-a-Go Drum Show at schools, drum days and family events. For more information go to Drum Show page
The Drum Waiters
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The Drum Waiters at Wentworth Golf Club
The Drum Waiters at the Gladstone Library, Whitehall
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Following in the best traditions of the singing waiters and the stage show Stomp, the Drum Waiters provide after dinner entertainment in a fresh, highly animated and inventive way. Dressed as waiters and mingling with the guests during dinner, at the appointed time they slowly and subtly start to reveal their true colours. Spread around the room, the first 'waiter' starts to clap a rhythm that is picked up by each of the others in turn. At first there is a degree of uncertainty amongst the guests as to what exactly is happening, but as soon as the waiters produce wine bottles, saucepans, trays and cutlery to create fascinating and impressive sounds and beats they quickly become caught up in the fun rhythmic atmosphere as the performers wind their way around the guests towards the stage area.
The show proceeds with skilfully choreographed moves, a variety of drums and percussion instruments, some familiar rhythms (including 'We Will Rock You') and a Latin American carnival style finale. Throughout the Drum Waiters are energetic, vibrant and dynamic, and audience participation is always inevitable with guests clapping, cheering and banging on the tables to accompany the performance, leaving everyone feeling exhilarated and invigorated. The guests can even be given their own drums and instruments to join in at the end . . .
Further information
Drum Groups
I am able to put bespoke rhythm groups together for specific briefs. Over the years I've helped co-ordinate and put drum groups together for many varied events, ranging from Virgin Atlantic's Cape Town launch in 2000 to GMTV's Get Up And Give Appeal in 1999, and again in 2001. For the BBC's Music Live 2000 event I was asked to help teach and co-ordinate drum groups around Britain, working with groups in Newcastle, Derry and Omagh. The latter was a particularly special experience - I went out to the town several times and was made incredibly welcome by the people I met there. It was a real privilege to be involved in the creation of a cross denominational drum group with players of all abilities, shapes and sizes, which by the time of the televised performance was over sixty strong. The sound and atmosphere on stage that afternoon is something I will remember for a long time . . .
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For the 2001 Football League Play-Offs I was commissioned by Nationwide to put together a drum troupe to perform on the pitch as entertainment for the crowds prior to each game - a job from heaven. The brief was to create a fun 'drum battle' from end to end of the pitch between rival supporters, so, calling in the services of some superb drummers from London's Drumtech College, and armed with eight large Water Butts, we set about creating rhythms and choreographing moves to make the group as visual as it was loud...! The atmosphere before each game was magical, the crowd joined in the rhythms we pounded out, and the adrenaline surge we all experienced as we ran out onto the pitch in front of fifty thousand people each day was something else. In 2002 we performed again, this time as the Heineken Drummers in Beziers, France, for the Rugby European Cup semi-final between Castres and Munster, and since have played at grounds around the UK from St.James's Park in Newcastle to the Madejski stadium in Reading.
Bands
Blurasis formed in 1995, and have performed as far afield as Florida, Tenerife, Paris, London and Edinburgh for clients such as Pfisers, Glaxo and Virgin Atlantic, not to mention colleges and venues throughout the UK, and have been featured in both the Times and the Melody Maker. After a quiet time at the turn of the millenium the band are back by popular demand, booked for various colleges' summer balls and freshers' weeks. The Blurasis set is made up of the best Britpop songs and acts from the nineties, including Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Robbie Williams, Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller and Vic Reeves.
To book Blurasis please contact Active Entertainment at www.active-group.co.uk
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In addition, through a large network of top musicians
I am able to put together bespoke bands for events,
ranging from South African style jazz groups to out and out rock bands!
The Sexy Mothers, pictured below, were put together especially for Richard Branson's staff parties where we performed to 10,000 people a night . . .
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Photos by James Cumpsty
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